Italic

A companion style within a
Type Family
in which the letterforms are not merely slanted but redesigned with a distinct, calligraphically inflected structure. Italic forms typically feature a single-story a and f with a descending tail, flowing entry and exit
Stroke
, and adjusted curves that reflect the movement of an angled pen. True italics originated in Renaissance chancery scripts and were originally independent
Typeface
before being paired with upright (
Roman
) designs. They serve to denote emphasis, foreign words, titles, and other textual distinctions, and are structurally different from
Oblique
, which are mechanically sloped versions of the roman.